The University of Toronto Varsity Blues women's water polo team opened their California road trip with a 1-3 record (February 21-24).
 
University of La Verne 11, Toronto 5
 
The Blues began its first ever California competition tour with an 11-5 loss to the University of La Verne.
 
Toronto fell behind 4-1 in the first quarter and were never able to get things untracked.  The intense physical style of play exhibited generally by California teams, combined with a depleted bench, put the Blues in an uphill situation throughout the game. 
 
Co-captain Ana Miroslavic (Toronto) led the way with three goals.  Ali Kraft (California) added a counterattack goal and Emily Kelvin-Davies (B.C.) converted a penalty shot to round out the scoring for the Blues.
 
The game also marked the first time ever that the Blues played outdoors.
 
California Lutheran University 9, Toronto 6
 
The Blues missed several glorious scoring chances and thus came up short in their match against California Lutheran.
 
The Blues trailed 5-4 past the midway mark of the third quarter when three great scoring chances were missed.
 
Co-captain Ana Miroslavic (Toronto) and Kassie Fraser (Vancouver) paced the attack with two goals each.  Megan MacCormac (Ottawa) and Ali Kraft (California) added singles in the loss.
 
Azusa Pacific University 8, Toronto 3
 
The Blues displayed a sudden tenacity and played with great heart in pulling into a 1-1 tie at the end of the first quarter. The team stayed close, only trailing 3-1 at the half as fatigue set in.
 
A couple of Blues shots hit the crossbar and dropped down but stayed out of the cage in the third quarter.
 
The final 8-3 loss was not reflective of the closeness of the game as the Blues played by far their best game on the California competition tour. Miroslavic scored twice and MacCormac added a single for the Blues.
 
Toronto 9, Chapman University 3
 
The Varsity Blues women's water polo team defeated Chapman University 9-3 on Friday night in Orange, California.  The win was the first ever for the Blues over a California opponent.
 
U of T scored on their first possession and led 2-0 at the end of the first quarter. The team poured it on in the second to go up 6-0 at the half.  Goalie Daniela Freeman (California) was strong in the cage, preserving the clean sheet through two periods.
 
Co-captain Ana Miroslav opened the scoring and produced a hat trick in leading the Blues. Ali Kraft (California) and Megan MacCormac  (Ottawa) scored twice each, while co-captain Marianne Tout (Vancouver) and Rhianna Wood  (Calgary) added singles. 
 
The Blues complete their California competition tour with a pair of games at the Whittier Invitational.